1973 in association football

The following events occurred in association football throughout the world in the year 1973.

Events

• Copa Libertadores 1973: Won by Independiente after defeating Colo-Colo on an aggregate score of 2–1.
• Sunderland AFC wins the FA Cup final.
• May 31 – NAC Breda claims the KNVB Cup after defeating NEC, 2–0.

Europe vs South America FIFA charity match

31 October 1973

Europe XI	4–4	South America XI
Eusébio 14' Keïta 22' Asensi 51' Jara 54'	Report	Sotil 13' Cubillas 28' Brindisi 64' Chumpitaz 80' (pen.)
Penalties
	2–3	Espárrago Borja Ortiz Morena Caszely

Camp Nou, Barcelona

Attendance: 28,000

Referee: Aurelio Angonese

Winners club national championship

Asia

• Iran: Persepolis
• Qatar: Al-Esteqlal

Europe

• East Germany: Dynamo Dresden
• England: Liverpool
• France: Nantes
• Hungary: Újpest
• Italy: Juventus
• Netherlands: Ajax
• Poland: Stal Mielec
• Scotland: Celtic
• Soviet Union: Ararat Yerevan
• Spain: Atlético Madrid
• Turkey: Galatasaray
• West Germany: Bayern Munich
• Yugoslavia: Red Star Belgrade

North America

• Mexico: Cruz Azul
• United States / Canada:
  • Philadelphia Atoms (NASL)

South America

• Argentina
  • Huracán – Metropolitano
  • Rosario Central – Nacional
• Brazil: Palmeiras

International tournaments

• 1973 British Home Championship (May 12–19, 1973)

England

Births

• January 3 – Jaroslav Švach, Czech youth international (d. 2020)
• January 21 – Sergei Zhdanov, former Russian footballer
• January 30
  • René Gottwald, retired German footballer
  • Predrag Kodžo, Serbian footballer
• February 2 – Valeriy Yablochkin, Kazakhstani footballer
• February 10 – Ivan O'Konnel-Bronin, Estonian footballer
• February 18 – Markus Wanner, retired Swiss footballer
• February 23 – Alan Tutton, English former professional footballer
• February 24 – Ivan Gentizon, retired Swiss footballer
• March 7 – Ray Parlour, English footballer
• March 11 – Damián Álvarez, Mexican footballer
• March 16 – Bert Zuurman, Dutch footballer
• March 28 – Delmo (Delmo Arcângelo Coelho Monteiro), Brazilian former footballer
• April 4 – Peter Hoekstra, Dutch footballer
• April 6 – Sun Wen, Chinese footballer
• April 9 – Bart Goor, Belgian footballer
• April 10 – Roberto Carlos, Brazilian footballer
• April 12 – Roberto Ayala, Argentine footballer
• April 26 – Lee Woon-jae, South Korean footballer
• May 1 – Oliver Neuville, German footballer
• May 2 – Cristino Jara, Paraguayan footballer
• May 8 – Jesús Arellano, Mexican footballer
• June 18 – Lesmond Prinsen, Dutch footballer
• July 6 – Romuald Ardeois, French professional footballer
• July 13 – Roberto Martínez, Spanish football player and coach
• July 21 – Nelson Abeijón, Uruguayan footballer
• July 24 – Johan Micoud, French international footballer
• August 1 – Pierre Bastou, French professional football
• August 9 – Filippo Inzaghi, Italian international footballer
• August 14 – Jay-Jay Okocha, Nigerian international footballer
• August 14 – Jared Borgetti, Mexican footballer
• August 19 – Marco Materazzi, Italian international footballer
• August 26 – Heini Stocker, retired Liechtenstein footballer
• September 4 – Nandor Njergeš, retired Serbian footballer
• September 8 – Ángel Maldonado, Mexican footballer
• September 13 – Fabio Cannavaro, Italian international footballer
• September 18 – Limberg Méndez, Bolivian footballer
• September 21
  • Pedro Acevedo, former Chilean footballer
  • Max Eberl, German footballer
  • Oswaldo Sánchez, Mexican footballer
• September 23 – Raphaël Clapson, French professional footballer
• October 9
  • Thomas Frank, Danish football player and manager
  • Carlos Pavón, Honduran international footballer
• October 11 – Steven Pressley, Scottish footballer
• October 14 – Fabián O'Neill, Uruguayan international footballer (died 2022)
• October 20 – Lim Gi-han, coach and former South Korean footballer
• October 24 – Glenn Summerville, Dutch footballer
• October 29 – Robert Pires, French international footballer
• November 17
  • Wally Dieng, French retired footballer
  • Bernd Schneider, German international footballer
• November 27 – Stephen Pugh, Welsh former professional footballer
• November 29 – Ryan Giggs, Welsh footballer
• December 5 – Andrei Krasnopjorov, Estonian footballer
• December 6 – Petar Miloševski, Macedonian international footballer (died 2014)
• December 11 – Ray Kenny, Irish footballer
• December 12 – Walter Otta, Argentinian footballer
• December 27 – Ivica Vulić, Slovenian retired international footballer
• December 31 – Paweł Bugała, Polish former professional footballer

Deaths

March

• March 19 – Hans Stubb (66), German footballer (born 1906)
• March 29– Adolfo Zumelzú, Argentine defender, runner-up of the 1930 FIFA World Cup. (71)

April

• April 21 – Evert Jan Bulder (78), Dutch footballer (born 1894)

September

• September 15 – Washington Ortuño, Uruguayan midfielder, winner of the 1950 FIFA World Cup (46)

November

• November 16 – Lorenzo Fernández, Uruguayan defender, winner of the 1930 FIFA World Cup. (73)